So, I am a Basic who worked for two agencies in the past, but one that I worked for is having issues related to response times. As a result, that agency has gone through two directors while I worked there, latest only being an EMR, which goes all over me, but I digress. The director sent me a "Warning letter" that basically accused me of dereliction of duty in the small volunteer service, and I had enough. I turned in my pager and radio almost immediately. Thing is, that leaves this service down to only two Basics and one Medic for coverage, and I feel terrible, because I considered these three men friends, and I am not the kind of guy that abandons friends easily, but I don't recognize an EMR as EMS director-- not by a long shot, and am certainly not going to put up with being essentially trapped if the other service, which happens to be my primary agency, needed me for transfer duty. My primary agency is a combination fire/EMS agency with full-time paid staff, but that shouldn't matter. What matters is my Director at my primary agency has advised me that the small volunteer agency is just circling the drain and that my quitting was the right call, but I hate the idea of trapping my friends at home. I am thinking about speaking with both Basics and letting them know why I left and that it had nothing to do with them to kind of clear the air and maybe keep my foot in the door. What say you? Any advice is welcome.
Advice please
- Thread starter srcoen
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What were you accused of doing or not doing at the "small volunteer service"? Were you asked to leave? If not, did you leave because of the letter, or because the director is an EMR? To what extent do you consider the opinion of the other director -- the one in your primary service -- objective? What's making you want to keep your "foot in the door" at the place you left?
RocketMedic
Californian, Lost in Texas
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They know full well what's going on and are likely the cause of the problem. No need to explain yourself to anyone, especially over an abusive volunteer gig. Remember that their problems are not your problems and the community is right now expecting something for nothing. Go paid and don't worry about their problems.
EpiEMS
Forum Deputy Chief
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Communities get what they pay (or don't pay) for. You have no obligations to the volunteer service. Speaking with your friends is totally a nice thing to do (a short note does nicely in this case), but - again - you have no obligations to the service.
First, I was accused of leaving town uncovered on two occasions... I was not asked to leave, and left for both reasons... I think, personally, to have an EMR who cannot legally take charge at a scene be director of EMS is a bad sign. I want to keep my foot in the door because I live there, and the other director is always above reproach.
EpiEMS
Forum Deputy Chief
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Not sure if this is true...there are fire officers who are EMTs taking operational charge at a scene while letting, say, medics be in clinical control over the patient. Operations and clinical things are related but different.
That aside, if it is a volunteer organization, and you can get on the board, get rid of that EMR guy - he sounds a like petty dictator.
planetmike
Forum Lieutenant
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Some states have a staffing size requirement for an agency. I *think* in Virginia you have to have at least six EMT’s or higher to be a rescue squad.
It sounds like you made the right choice in resigning.
It sounds like you made the right choice in resigning.
Ok, thanks. My advice is to reconsider whether either of the two reasons you left are good enough, given how much you seem to be agonizing over your decision. Even if your now-former agency could be run better, that doesn't mean you couldn't continue to contribute in the current environment. Sometimes it's just a matter of doing your best regardless of the obstacles people put in front of you.